UP to become top fish producer of the country

Lucknow, Dec 22 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh, which ranks third in fish production in the country after West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, is set to reach the top in the near future.

On the second day of workshop cum training program on the 'Fish Culture and Inland Fisheries', organised by the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Fisheries Secretary P K Jha, said in UP, farmers have bright future in the aquarium fish breeding since it has tremendous prospects in the the days to come.

''UP has huge potential for the development of fisheries due to the presence of vast water bodies. There is a presence of vast water areas such as the 28,500 kms stretch of rivers, 1.38 lakh hectares of big and medium reservoirs, 1.33 lakh hectares of natural lakes and 1.61 lakh ponds and tanks,'' Mr Jha said.

He requested the scientists, state fishery officials and fish farmers to make UP number one in the fish production.

Expressing concern over the decline in inland capture and culture fisheries due to overexploitation of natural resources, habitat degradation and pollution, he informed the gathering about the different farmers' welfare schemes being implemented by the state government such as fish cold storage, hatchery development, and other such measures in which there is a provision of more than 30 per cent subsidy to the fish farmers.

While lauding the role of NBFGR in development of fisheries in the state, he urged the NBFGR scientists to develop a suitable prawn culture techniques for farmers.

UNI ATI VD HS1440